Chapter 44

When Tiegan arrives home after visiting Jack, she goes to her room to get ready for Melissa's farewell party. Nicholle is on the bed reading an issue of DOLLY Magazine.

"Where are you off to tonight?" Nicholle asked Tiegan.

"Steph and I are going to a friend's house to rage." Tiegan replied.

"Sounds fun." Nicholle said.

"Did you want to come?" Tiegan asked.

"Sure. Where's it at?"

"In Yabbie Creek."

Nicholle looked confused. "Yabbie Creek?"

"It's the next town over." Tiegan told her.

"Oh, right." Nicholle said, laughing lightly.

"Steph and I want you to have some friends down here in the Bay."

"Nice." Nicholle said. "I wonder if Curtis will be there."

"Curtis Reed?" Tiegan asked.

"Yeah. He's so cute." Nicholle said, blushing.

"You really think so?"

Nicholle gave Tiegan a weird look.

"Don't you think he's cute?" she asked her.

"Not really." Tiegan replied.

Nicholle scoffed slightly. As much as she liked Tiegan, she had a weird taste when it came to hot guys.

That night, Stephanie and Tiegan brought Nicholle along to Melissa's house for the big party.

"What's this party for again?" Nicholle asked Stephanie.

"The host is moving to Melbourne." Stephanie replied.

Once inside, Melissa greeted the three girls.

"So glad you could make it, Steph and Tiegan." Melissa said as she kissed them on the cheek.

"Melissa, this is Nicholle Singleton. She's Pippa's niece who's visiting for a few days. Tiegan and I wanted her to come tonight." Stephanie said.

"Nice to meet you, Nicholle." Melissa told her before they hugged.

"Likewise." Nicholle said.

"Come out to the back. Some of the guests have arrived." Melissa told the three girls.

Stephanie, Tiegan and Nicholle headed to the backyard, where several guests were either drinking or socialising.

"Do you know if Selina's coming?" Ariel Collier asked Stephanie.

"She's up the Gold Coast." Stephanie replied.

Nicholle happened to see Curtis and approached him.

"Hey stud muffin."

Curtis blushed slightly as Nicholle stroked his hair.

"Uh...hey Nicholle."

"Oh, please. Call me Nikki." she said, laughing.

Curtis laughed also.

"So, have you got a girlfriend?" Nicholle asked him.

"I did, but she dumped me for another guy." Curtis replied.

"That sucks." Nicholle said. "You're super cute and for her to dump you for someone else, she made the biggest mistake of her life."

"You think so?" Curtis asked her.

"I know so."

Nicholle then pulled Curtis into a kiss! He pulled away in shock!

"What are you doing?!" he asked her, his voice raised.

Nicholle let out a huge smirk.

"Didn't you like it?" she teased.

"This is how a man kisses a woman!"

Curtis then pulled Nicholle's hair and kissed her passionately!

"My kiss was better than yours." he said, giving Nicholle a cheeky smile.

Nicholle didn't say anything. She just smiled in agreement.

Meanwhile, Pippa was visiting Jack at the hospital.

"Sweetheart, I'm very worried about you."

"When am I coming home?" Jack asked.

"Tomorrow." Pippa replied, not realising Jack was avoiding the question.

"Great." Jack said, but he didn't look too impressed.

"I just want to know why you cut yourself." Pippa said.

"Why do you care?" Jack snapped. "You're the one that sent Kerri away!"

"Jack, I didn't send her away." Pippa told him. "Her behaviour was out of control and I couldn't deal with it anymore."

"Maybe I deserved to be kidnapped by Andrew." Jack said.

"You most certainly did not!" Pippa said angrily.

"Pippa, I'm shit scared! I reckon that if Donna had not come in time, he probably would've abused me or maybe even murdered me." Jack told her, his voice now breaking.

Pippa felt sad for Jack. He didn't deserve being kidnapped.

"Jack, do you remember what happened before the kidnapping?" Pippa asked him.

Jack felt the tears coming, but he managed to fight them back.

"I was sitting behind the Surf Club and I felt this wet cloth being pressed against my face. The next thing I know, I'm tied up and Andrew was holding me captive." he managed to reply.

Pippa didn't say anything and let Jack continue talking.

"I've been having nightmares ever since and that's why I slashed myself with the box cutter. I just want to die, Pip. I just want to die."

Jack then broke down crying as Pippa hugged him.

"It's okay, sweetheart." Pippa soothed. "You don't have to be afraid anymore."

Back at Melissa's house, Tiegan and Stephanie are still at the party. They are watching Nicholle dancing with a few of the guests.

"She's very wild, isn't she?" Tiegan remarked.

"Sorry?" Stephanie looked confused.

"I'm talking about Nicholle. She's got a very wild personality." Tiegan told her.

"She's just having fun." Stephanie said.

"A little too much fun!"

"Boys, who wants to dance with me?" Nicholle asked some of the guys who were dancing.

Tiegan gave Stephanie a look as if to say 'you see what I mean?'

"I think she just parties hard." Stephanie told Tiegan.

"I seen her and Curtis make out as I went to the bathroom earlier." Tiegan said. "She was also flirting with a couple of other guys."

"You're very observant aren't you, Tiegz?"

Tiegan just laughed. As she did, Nicholle approached them.

"Come on, girls." she coaxed. "Come dance with all of us."

Tiegan and Stephanie then decided to dance with the other party guests.

The next morning, Tiegan and Stephanie returned to Melissa's house to say goodbye. They ended up leaving the party just before midnight, but Nicholle didn't end up coming home until much later.

"Nicholle didn't get home until three this morning." Tiegan said.

"I didn't even hear her come in." Stephanie said. "I wonder where she went?"

"Who knows?"

They see Melissa packing her car.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye." Stephanie told her.

"I wouldn't call this a goodbye." Melissa said. "I would rather call this a see you soon."

"We hope you have a great life in Melbourne." Tiegan said. "Let us know if you want Steph and I to come visit you. We would love to meet your partner."

"I think I can arrange that." Melissa said, smiling.

Stephanie and Melissa then hugged.

"Good luck." Stephanie said.

"I'm really going to miss you both." Melissa said to them, her voice cracking.

"Don't cry, Melissa." Tiegan said. "You're going to make me cry, otherwise."

Tiegan and Melissa hug each other.

"Love you girls so much." Melissa said before she went to her car.

Tiegan and Stephanie then waved goodbye as Melissa drove off, tooting her car horn.

NEXT TIME...
- Nicholle's relationship with Curtis grows
- Stephanie and Tiegan confront Nicholle over her whereabouts
- Jack's mood brightens when Kerri Winslow visits him